good morning. breaking news. nbc's richard engel and his crew freed overnight after a dramatic firefight in syria. they had been kidnapped and held for five days. this morning, they are with us live and will tell us what happened. everyday hero. she was the principal who laid down her life for her students in the tragic school shooting in connecticut. what her daughter wants the world to know about her mother. and a deal in sight this morning. republicans and democrats could be closer than ever to an agreement on the fiscal cliff today. tuesday, december 18th, 2012.

from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm david gregory in for matt this morning. we've had some terrible news to cover recently. we have such great news this morning that we can share with everyone. our friend and colleague richard engel and his team have been freed unharmed and there they are. we look forward to talking to all of them to find out about their ordeal. >> a lot of us are exhaling this morning. of course, we'll get the latest from newtown, connecticut. natalie morales is there this morning where two more funerals for the victims of the shooting will be held today. we'll get to her, but we'll give you the latest developments. sandy hook elementary school remains closed today, but newtown's other schools are reopening this morning for the first time since the shooting. >> as for the investigation, police hoped adam lanza's computer would provide some

clues about a motive, but they say it has been badly damaged and so far those efforts have been unsuccessful. we're also learning that lanza had been assigned a psychologist when he was a student at newtown high school. we'll have much more on all of these developments coming up. we want to begin with the news we just received this morning. nbc's richard engel and his team were freed from captors in syria where they were held for five days. richard joins us now from turkey along with his photographer and producer. gentlemen, may i be the first to say it is so good to see your faces. richard, can you take us through and tell us what happened? >> yes, and it is good to be here. i'm very happy that we're able to do this live shot this morning. we were driving in syria about five days ago in what we thought was a rebel controlled area. we were with some of the rebels. and as we were moving down the road, a group of gunmen just

literally jumped out of the trees and bushes on the side of the road, there were probably 15 gunmen, they were wearing ski masks, they were heavily armed. they dragged us out of the car. they had a container truck positioned waiting by the side of the road. they put us into that container truck. we were with some gunmen, rebels who were escorting us. they executed one of them on the spot. then they took us to a series of safe houses and interrogation places. and they kept us blindfolded, bound. we weren't physically beaten or tortured. it was a lot of psychological torture. threats of being killed. they made us choose which one of us would be shot first. when we refused, there were mock shootings. they pretended to shoot him several times. when you were blindfolded. and then they fired the gun up in the air. it can be a very traumatic experience. at the end of this, we were

being moved to yet another location in the area, around 11:00 last night local time. as we were moving down the road, the kidnappers came across a rebel check point, something they hadn't expected. so we were in the back of what you would think of as a minivan. as we were driving along the road, the kidnappers saw this check point, started a gunfight. two of the kidnappers were killed. we climbed out of the vehicle and the rebels took us. we spent the night with them. we didn't get much sleep. and we came right here and we just got into turkey a short while ago. i still have on me -- i think these guys do as well -- the bandages in our pockets. these are the clothes we were wearing. >> made from our bed sheets. >> yeah, they were torn from the bed sheets we were in. it was a traumatic experience. we're very happy to be here. we're in good health. we're okay. everyone was great. nbc was fantastic in informing

our families and keeping up to date, keeping this story quiet. we're obviously very happy, there are many people who are still not at liberty to do this kind of thing, still hostages, still people who don't have their freedom inside syria. we wish them well. >> richard, it's david. let me just add, it is so great to see you and your team and to hear from you this morning. can you take us a little bit more through who you think this was? did they seem experienced? you and your team have been throughout syria. what clues were you getting along the way about what they wanted? >> yeah, i think i have a very good idea of who they were. this was a group known as the shabiha. this is a government militia. they are loyal to president assad. they are shiite. they were talking openly about their loyalty to the government,

openly expressing their shia faith. they are trained by iranian revolutionary guard. they are allied with hezbollah. we were told that they wanted to exchange us for four iranian agents and two lebanese people and other members had been captured by the rebels, they captured us nin order to carry out this exchange. that's what they were hoping to do. they were going to bring us to a hezbollah stronghold inside syria right now. we were on our way there when we ran into this rebel check point. and we had this escape and freedom. >> and richard, i know you are all very experienced. but i wonder how you are feeling this morning, how you're doing, and how you're processing what must have been an absolutely

terrifying experience. >> gazi, you want that? >> well, to be honest, when we first got captured, it was -- for me, at least, it was a bit of a moment of disbelief. with those guys a long time in harsh environments. we work with each other very well. that i was captured with heath ledger -- with them because we kept each other's spirit up. there were moments of dispair for me about my family. it did help a lot that we were together. i must say, we were freed yesterday with the rescue by the rebels. one of the happiest moments of my life. i must say that. >> we had talked about that today. you find a happy spot. i, for one, found a very happy spot and i stayed there.

but during the ordeal, i made good with my maker, made good with myself. i was prepared to die many times. >> moving was the hardest part. >> it was disconcerting the move blindfolded from house to house. >> and you think they're going to take you outside to execute you. >> for five days. >> but we did find that happy spot. >> we passed messages to each other. >> we joked around. we weren't allowed to speak, but if you sort of look -- kind of peek underneath the blindfold, you can see if maybe there's a guard in the room or not and we tried to joke a little bit back and forth and keep our spirits up. >> well, richard, john, and gazi, we are profoundly grateful to see you this morning. i think we can take a moment and say how beloved you are by this organization and how thankful we are that you're here with us. i know we'll be talking a lot

more soon in the coming days. thank you, be well, get some rest. >> we will, guys. >> thanks. >> amen to that. now we want to turn to the other big story we're following this morning and that is the tragedy at sandy hook elementary. natalie morales is at newtown this morning. natalie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, david. with exactly a week to go until christmas, the christmas tree here at the center of the town behind me is now a growing makeshift memorial. you see balloons, you see the teddy bears, you see the emotional messages, all a touching tribute to the young victims of the tragic shooting at sandy hook elementary school. today, two more young children will be laid to rest. on monday, the first of the victims was remembered by this community overcome by its grief. hundreds gathered on monday to say goodbye to 6-year-old jack pinto. a little boy who loved sports, idolized the new york giants' victor cruz, who remembered

pinto sunday. his father called the loss unimaginable, and said most of all, jack loved to play with his friends and keep up with his big brother. many of those friends attended the service. much too young to say goodbye. >> they were being comforted, and yet protected. a message of you're being secure now, because the worst is over. >> reporter: not far away, mourners remembered 6-year-old noah pozner, the little boy with a perpetual smile, described as a smart, funny child, who loved to eat tacos and loved animals. pozner's mother spoke at the service, calling noah her little man. noah's twin sister ariel survived the shooting in another classroom. near sandy hook elementary, messages of hope surround the ever growing memorial to the victims. as the town tries to cope, investigators are searching for answers. on monday, atf agents verified that nancy lanza and her son had visited local shooting ranges to

practice firing weapons, though they hadn't done so in recent months. police say adam lanza was carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition when he arrived at the school on friday. at newtown high school where adam lanza attended class, former teachers say a psychologist was assigned to help protect him. family friends say he struggled with a mild form of autism. and a former school official says lza had another disorder. he was insensitive to emotional and physical pain. mental health experts say both conditions have no clear connection to violence. >> i've been asked so many times, was he bullied? i can say it's impossible because we all watched him so closely. >> reporter: on monday, moving trucks arrived at sandy hook elementary, now a crime scene. wednesday, students will return to class, but at a different school with plenty of help to make it through. >> the overwhelming support from the community and seeing the town come together like this is

amazing. i'm proud to say that i'm from here. >> reporter: on monday, police confirmed that two adults who were also shot at the school miraculously survived. police say they will question them as soon as they are ready. they are now recovering from their injuries. david? >> natalie, thank you very much. we want to get a check of the morning's other top stories. we've got tamron at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. with less than two weeks to go until the fiscal cliff deadline, new signs of progress in our nation's capital. chuck todd has the latest. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. they're very close. 24 hours after speaker boehner delivered a counteroffer to the president that talked about raising rates on people that made a million dollars or more, the white house came up with their own counteroffer. they would like to raise tax rates on those that make $400,000 or more, which sup from the original demands of

$250,000. overall, the president is looking for $1.2 trillion in tax cuts. he believes they proposed $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, if you will, a total package of $2.4 trillion when it comes to deficit reduction. boehner's folks over there, the republican speaker, they questioned some of the math that the white house came up with, particularly on the spending cuts side. tamron, today is going to be a big day because the rank and file of both the democrats in the house and the republicans in the house get more details about these various counteroffers, how they react to it could dictate how negotiations go over the next 24 hours. but as it stands right now, tamron, it does feel like a deal, or at least the framework of a deal is within reach and we may see it maybe before thursday. >> all right, chuck, thank you very much. medal of honor recipient daniel inway of hawaii has

passed away. the world war ii hero is being remembered for his influential role in the watergate scandal. the first japanese american to serve in congress was third in the line of presidential succession. he was 88 years old. nbc's "the voice" paid tribute last night to the victims of the school shooting at sandy hook elementary. ♪ hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ >> that, of course, "hallelujah" by leonard cohen. you could see they were holding up the names of each of the victims. it was such a powerful moment. another one that we've seen. >> a stark reminder just how many victims there were, indeed. we'll take a turn and get our first check of the weather, al. >> we've got a big winter storm

going out west. you can see we've got blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings and blizzard watches stretching from nevada all the way into wisconsin. we are looking at a lot of snow really getting itself together later this afternoon. snowfall amounts -- basically we're talking about in some of the mountainous areas, one to two feet of snow in the central rockies. in the northeast, a big storm up into new england and snowfall amounts in parts of maine up to a foot of snow. we'll get your local forecast right after this message. ♪ ♪ >> good morning.

we are watching a front that will produce a sprinkle or a rain shower in spots. otherwise, a mixture of sun and clouds. that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al, thank you. we're learning more this morning about adam lanza and his family history. today national investigative correspondent jeff rossum is here with that story. >> we've heard a lot about adam lanza and we've heard a lot about his mother, but now we have new information about his relationship with his father, peter. a source close to the family tells nbc news adam had cut off

communication with his dad, even refusing to see him. in the chaotic hours after adam lanza's rampage, a local reporter showed up at his father's doorstep to break the news. >> his face went from patient to surprise to horror. it was pretty clear to me that he was surprised that somebody he loved was involved with what was happening up in newtown. >> reporter: peter lanza is a successful finance executive at ge, part owner of nbc universal. a source close to the family says in 2001, he separated from adam's mother, nancy, but he still saw adam every week. in 2009, the lanzas officially divorced. adam was 17. >> they were the type of parents, even when they were married as well as being separated, if the kids had a need, they would definitely fill it. >> reporter: but the source says by 2010, peter lanza was dating

a new woman who he later married and adam suddenly cut his dad off. despite his father's attempts to see him. peter lanza hadn't seen or heard from his son since then. now nbc news has obtained the divorce documents between adam's parents. peter and nancy agreed on joint legal custody of adam. he lived full-time with his mom in this spacious connecticut home. adam's dad was fully supporting them. this year, more than $289,000 in alimony. peter also volunteered to pay for adam's college, car, and medical insurance. eric broder is a connecticut divorce attorney. >> it was a very friendly divorce. the parties represented themselves and they seemed to reach an agreement that they both found fair and equitable. i would ten take clients like this any day, nice and easy. >> reporter: according to their divorce mediator, adams parents were concerned about his needs and nancy didn't like to leave

him alone. the source close to the family tells nbc news adam's father never saw any violent behavior from him. >> when the parents divorced, those children feel lost. >> reporter: psychologist and nbc news contributor jeff gardere. >> you look at these court papers. this divorce seemed pretty imkabbalai cabable. >> they tend to feel guilty. they tend to feel that maybe they did something that contributed to that divorce. but they also see thatfoundatio their lives, the stability is being torn asunder. >> of course, right now, no one knows exactly what caused adam's violent spiral. his father has not spoken publicly yet, just releasing a statement saying he cannot comprehend what has unfolded. he is saddened and struggling to make sense of it all and is he fully cooperating with law enforcement.

>> all right, thanks so much. coming up, one of the fallen people of sandy hook's massacre, dawn hochsprung. we'll talk to her daughter exclusively. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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suffered hand injuries. >> good morning, we picked up one problem spot in howard county in the glenwood area. this is where it is, union chapel at hunt valley drive. the jfx, you will see that traffic southbound at the 33 miles per hour in that area. we have our camera from ruxton road south of the beltway and that is slow. there are no incidents are problems, just slow traffic. westbound on the beltway has problems as well. it is down to 17 miles per hour toward 795. this is no. the security boulevard and it is slow.

>> good morning, everyone. there is still a little patchy fog but not nearly as bad as yesterday. the temperatures now are in the upper 40's and low 50's. we are watching a little bit of rain trying to come out of the mountains. there's a slight chance for a shower in the forecast the most of you will not see rain. a mix of clouds and sunshine today, breezy and mild and temperatures in the mid-50's.

7:30 now on this tuesday morning. it is the 18th of december, 2012, as we look at one of the touching tributes in newtown, connecticut, to to victims of the shooting at sandy hook elementary school. good morning, everyone. anywhere you go in that town, there are signs, there are flowers, there are teddy bears. the whole town just has an outpouring of support for those who were lost. >> it's going to be that way a long time, i imagine. coming up, the man who lives across the street from the school and sheltered young survivors who escaped. he will join us to scare his own emotional story. a lot of parents want to know, how do you talk to your kids about the difficult topic

of death? we'll get into that with maria shriver. she's written a children's book as a starting point for parents on this issue of grieving and loss. >> even talking about this incident. we were discussing it's very difficult. we'll also talk about therapy dogs. they have traveled from far away to help people in newtown heal. we'll have that story. we want to begin this half-hour with one of the faces of this tragedy. principal dawn hochsprung ran to confront the gunman. one of her daughters, erica lafferty, is with us now along with her fiance. good morning to both of you. i want to offer our deepest condolences for the loss of your mom. she sounds like she was a wonderful person. and we're just so sorry. how are you doing this morning? >> a loud truck. sorry. hanging in. it's been tough. but to say she was a wonderful

person is the understatement of the century. >> and that's part of the reason we wanted to hear from you this morning, because sometimes when you lose someone, you want the world to know how special they were. what would you want people to know about your mom? >> she put her life into making everyone else's lives so much better. her smile just lit up every building she walked into. she made an impact on everyone that she's ever come across, every adult, every child. especially the kids. the light of her life. >> out of this awful tragedy, erica and christopher, we have heard amazing stories of heroism, and your mom is really at the center of that, as we mentioned, she ran toward the gunfire, she confronted the gunman. when you heard that did you think to yourself, that is just like the woman i know? >> i had a really hard time not

being mad about it. but that's who she was. you know, she faced every single problem that she ever had in her life head-on. you know, my cousin referred to her as a bull yesterday. you know, there's no stopping dawn when she has a mission. she gets it done and she gives it everything she has. >> christopher, i know you and erica are engaged. i've heard that dawn treated you basically like you were already a son-in-law. you must be incredibly proud of her and what she did. >> yeah. for some reason, dawn loved me and it's my job now to just be there for her daughter. and i accept that job with open arms. and i'll be there for her any

way possible. >> and erica, i understand that your mom used to write you letters, which she called "just because" letters. she wrote you just because. which is a wonderful thing to do and a great thing to have now. can you tell me about those letters? >> yeah. i actually have one that i found last night when i was looking for pictures. this one i think was sent the first time that i moved out, i went back and forth a couple times because i was a momma's girl and always needed her close. but this one is, today i stopped and thought what a wonderful daughter i have, and i thought i'd tell dearest erica, you wil forever be my sweet baby girl. you possess a piece of my heart and soul and i will never be complete without you. remember this in your darkest

times, you are never alone, your mom. be safe, be well, be happy, no one deserves it more. >> erica, i'm so glad you have that letter. i know you'll be treasuring it. thank you for coming on and telling us more about this amazing woman. and our best to you and to you, christopher, as well. >> thanks. >> thank you very much. and we will take a turn now. we're going to get another check of the weather from mr. roekero. >> thank you so much, savannah. as we look at this storm system, it's bringing warmer than usual temperatures in front of it. wichita, 58. st. louis 59. midland, texas, will see temperatures 18 degrees above normal. behind it, we've got much colder air. reno will be 15 degrees above usual with a high of 31. as we show you the storm system, it will be bringing heavy snow to the rockies. a lot of snow showers.

rain in the pacific northwest. icy and snowy conditions at northern new england. rain through the upper ohio river valley on into up state, >> good morning. it will be a mild day today. a mixture of sun and clouds. a slight chance for a rain shower. and that's your latest weather. you need your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel or weatherchannel.com. still ahead, we'll talk about who might be this year's "time" person of the year. >> but first, these messages. ng.

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coming up on 7:40 now. the massacre of so many at sandy hook elementary has sparked a new discussion about gun violence in america, even among people who have previously not supported any gun control regulation. nbc's tom costello is in washington with that part of the story. good morning, tom. >> hi, david. picking up on the discussion from "meet the press" over the weekend, we're talking about the assault weapons ban that congress allowed to expire in 2004. this morning, there is a growing chorus of voices, including some nra members calling for a new assault weapons ban to prevent any more tragedies. just four days since the massacre at sandy hook, signs of movement in the decades-long gun control debate. it began with president obama. >> are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom? >> reporter: by monday morning, joe scarborough, now an msnbc

host, came out forcefully against assault weapons. >> it is time for congress to put children before deadly dogmas. it's time for politicians to start focusing more on protecting our schoolyards. than putting together their next fundraiser. >> reporter: then, one of the biggest pro-gun senators. >> as your senator, i'll protect your second amendment rights. >> reporter: joe manchin of west virginia announced he too is changing his mind. >> i don't know of anybody, those hunting with an assault rifle, i don't know anybody that needs those types of multiple clips as far as ammunition. >> reporter: mark warner of virginia agreed. then the mayors of chicago -- >> it's time we as a country have a solid ban. >> reporter: and new york. >> this is just ridiculous. this is an outrage. we are killing each other, and we're the only industrialized country in the world doing it. >> reporter: mayor bloomberg is among gun regulation advocates who have long called on congress to enact a new assault weapons

ban to replace the one that expired in 2004. a ban on high capacity ammo clips and to close gun show loopholes and demand background checks of anyone who buys a gun. bloomberg also promised to use his own vast personal wealth to take on the gun lobby if necessary. >> shame on the nra. shame on the nra. >> reporter: with protesters outside its washington office -- >> i'd like to think that we're in the beginning of a fire being started under the american people. i think it's time. >> reporter: the nra has remained silent since the massacre, but amid the talk of new gun laws, many gun stores have reported a surge in sales. in florida, they were running 450 background checks an hour. >> will it stop somebody that's a convicted felon? will it stop somebody that has prior arrests? yes, it will. >> reporter: this week, florida will issue its one millionth concealed weapon permit. dick's sporting goods says it is suspending the sale of certain

kinds of semiautomatic rifles from its chains nationwide following the shooting. and walmart has pulled the bushmaster rifle from its website. the bushmaster was the weapon used in the massacre. david? >> tom costello in washington for us this morning. republican congressman jason chavitz of utah is with us. where are you on this? the last few days, people who think like you do, democrats who are gun rights activists who believe something's got to give. do you believe that? >> my wife and i have three kids. if there's anything we could do to make sure that this never, ever, ever happens again, of course, i would support it. but unfortunately, i don't know that this is necessarily the right direction. what i do believe is common ground, that we should attack. this intersection between the use of lethal weapons and the access to lethal weapons and those that are mentally ill. particularly those teenagers who are having a difficult time making that transition into

adulthood. we wipe their record clean, we've got parents who feel powerless because now they're 18 years old and they can't do anything. teachers in schools that know that this child has a problem. and yet suddenly because they're magically 18 years old, we've got to protect their freedoms. >> no question mental health is a huge issue that comes out of this. everyone has a role here. if we can stipulate to that. my question is do you not see any room for stricter gun regulations to at least mitigate the potential for these kinds of scenarios? >> well, look, i'll have an open mind. i want to be one of those people that's reasonable and will listen to anything. we did have an assault weapons ban for ten years. the crime rate was going down before it, the crime rate, when it was lifted, continued to go down. assault weapons account for less than 2% of the murders in this country. if you're in that 2%, believe me, i understand that. but if you're going to attack the bigger, broader part of the problem and the challenge, i

don't think that this country has necessarily addressed the mental health issue. >> do you believe that if assault weapons are banned, that the government is going to come after your guns? >> i don't believe that the government will necessarily come after my guns. >> so what is the argument against an assault weapons ban other than if you do that, it's a slippery slope? i've tried to understand that before. >> well, i'm a concealed carried permit holder. i have a handgun. i have a shotgun. i believe it's my constitutional right to do this. i'm not part of the problem. we've got to make sure that those that have criminal backgrounds, that have a propensity for doing this, that have mental health issues, i still think we haven't done enough to this. and if you look at some of these mass murders and some of these horrific kill thaings that are happening across the country, that's a huge part of the equation that has not been addressed. >> quickly, congressman, do you think on school campuses across the country, do you think armed guards? do you think carrying weapons could do more to lessen the

danger? >> you're going to have to deal with that school by school. in utah, we do allow that to a degree. we don't want these schools to become fortresses where you can't -- it's not palatable. but if you have somebody who's comfortable carrying a gun, i feel comfortable with that as long as they pass the proper background checks. but you don't necessarily want to arm teachers and try to get them to do something. guns aren't for everybody, necessarily. but those that are comfortable carrying it, that are properly trained, that go through this background check, i do feel comfortable do that. >> debate will continue. thank you so much this morning. >> thanks. coming up next here, a first look at the short list for "time" magazine's person of the year.

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handcrafted by the master diamond artisans at leo schachter. at kay, the number-one jewelry store in america. yes. ♪ every kiss begins with kay "today" is brought to you by mercedes-benz, engineering some of the most advanced vehicles on the road today. and this morning, who will be "time's" person of the year? back in 2011, the protester graced the cover. >> in a moment, we'll have an exclusive first look at this year's short list of nominees, but first, we asked some other big names who they would pick. >> my person of the year is lawrence diprimo, the new york

city policeman who bought a pair of shoes for a man with bare feet on a freezing cold day. he reminds us of how important random acts of kindness are. >> president obama, because we're facing some of the biggest challenges in his ability to unify the country or not. it's going to make all the difference in the world. >> the latino american will be the largest minority in this country by year 2020. you cannot win an election in this country anymore without the latino-american. >> the unemployed american worker. just about every single aspect of the president's domestic agenda will deal with unemployment and that group of unemployed voters. >> malala. you have this 15-year-old girl really right in the heart of darkness. as a beacon of light. >> my choice for person of the year is aung san suu kyi. >> curiosity, the mars rover, not just because we are distantly related.

>> hillary clinton. she has worked extremely hard and effectively to maintain a sense of calmness and good will around the world. >> i am going to go with a bunch of boys by the name of one direction. ♪ baby you light up my world like nobody else ♪ they're the talk of the world right now. and it's not depressing. so i hope it's them. ♪ that's what makes you beautiful ♪ >> okay, those were good choices but who will "time" pick? let's get to our exclusive look at the magazine's short list. first up, malala, the 15-year-old pakistani girl shot after speaking about her simple wish to go to school. >> that's a pretty interesting choice. then there's president barack obama. he was "time's" person of the year back in 2008. the only group on the list, the undocumented american. something larry king was talking about. talking about latinos. that would include some illegal immigrants as well.

>> bill and hillary clinton also on the list, along with egyptian president, controversial person as well, mohamed morsi. >> and then the revolutionary discovery of the god particle made the list, as did apple's new ceo tim cook. >> and then finally, a high-profile working mom, yahoo!'s ceo marisa meyer. a lot of people were watching her because she went back to work after having her baby within a couple weeks. so she certainly stirred some controversy. so who should be "time's" person of the year? you can weigh in on today.com. we are going to reveal -- we are going to reveal the actual winner tomorrow on "today." coming up here, maria shriver on dealing with loss. first, your local news. [ engine revs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] oh what fun it is to ride.

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>> this is wbal tv news 11 in baltimore. >> it is time for a check on the morning commute to. >> good morning, everyone. it is picking up a bit out there with problem spots. there's a crash at crest wycombe providence in towson. the report of a crash was done on 32 at 95, we are checking on that and they confirmed crashed eastbound at ritchie highway. big delays on the jfx. delays go from the belt way all the way down to about falls road.

there is no real reason for that but that is what we are seeing this morning. the west side of the beltway is jammed from 7952 edmonson ave. >> good morning, everyone, we are off to a better start than yesterday. there is still patchy fog but it is not a big deal like yesterday's. 47 degrees at the airport. we are watching a system coming out of the mountain that may give us a few sprinkles. maybe some of that will make a towards baltimore but there is only a 20% chance. it will turn out to be relatively mild day with a mix of clouds and sunshine with a slight chance of a shark and high temperatures in the mid- 50's this afternoon. it will be a nice day tomorrow

with sunshine and 52, thickening clouds thursday and a good chance for rain in the afternoon, and friday morning, the temperatures will knock down into the 30'

8:00 now on this tuesday morning. it's the 18th of december, 2012. we stepped outside to say hello to the fine folks who come out here to rockefeller plaza. a little bit of a drizzly day. they're here to check out the beautiful rockefeller christmas tree as we are one week away from christmas day as we speak. as we say good morning to them, we say good morning to you. i'm savannah guthrie alongside david gregory, who's in for matt, and al roker. just ahead, it will feel good to smile a little bit. we've got the right guest for that. billy crystal is here.

he's got a new movie with bette midler. it's his grandparent movie. >> i've already got my plans to see this. also we'll talk a little bit more about sandy hook and the tragedy there. a really interesting story about a man who actually lives near the school, a psychologist who came upon some of the kids outside who were able to get away from the school and talk to them and comforted them. he's got his own emotional story. we'll talk to him coming up. and everybody who's got kids has been really grappling with. how do you talk to your kids about grief and loss? our good friend maria shriver wrote a book about that, a children's book called "what's heaven" and she's going to help us sort through it all. it's always good to see maria. we have a quick programming note. tomorrow on "today," jenna bush hager sits down with first lady michelle obama and they talk about something both of them know about, which is christmas at the white house. we're going to have their conversation tomorrow on "today." but we will begin this half-hour with the latest from connecticut, where the funerals are starting for some of these victims. let's get to natalie morales,

who's got the latest. natalie, good morning again. >> and good morning to you, savannah. two more young children will be laid to rest again here today. now with a week to go until christmas day, this tragedy really hitting, as you see, right here. the christmas tree is now just covered. it's a makeshift memorial with balloons, messages of hope, christmas trees set up here, and flowers everywhere you look, and these makeshift memorials pretty much cover all of the town here. it's so hard to think of the 20 young lives that were taken here and the six staff members of sandy hook elementary school as well. we did learn more about adam lanza, the 20-year-old shooter who took those lives. we've learned that according to school psychologists at his high school, he had been assigned a psychologist who was overseeing his treatment and care. we understand as well that he did have a disorder, he had some

sort of aspergers type disorder, although mental health experts say that is not a reason for violence in this case. we know as well that his parents were divorced and that he was, in fact, in his mother's custody since that divorce in 2009. but again, police are trying to piece together what could have motivated him to go to that elementary school and to take those children and those adults' lives, and yet they still have not been able to ascertain a motive. they did recover hard drives from his home, but unfortunately, the hard drives were so destroyed and badly damaged, they were not able to come up with anything there as well. so investigators still trying to put all the pieces here together. but again, today the story -- throughout the week, it's really more about the funerals and beginning to move forward and heal as the community buries those who have lost their lives here. >> natalie morales in newtown for us. thank you. a lot of other news to get to. tamron hall is in for natalie

while she is in newtown. and she's got a check of those stories. >> our nbc colleague chief foreign correspondent richard engel and his crew are safe this morning in turkey after they were kidnapped and held inside syria for five days. they were freed last night with a harrowing story to tell. engel said they were taken at gunpoint following a deadly fire fight while traveling with syrian rebels last week. >> they kept us blindfolded, bound. we weren't physically beaten or tortured. it was a lot of psychological torture. threats of being killed. they made us choose which one of us would be shot first. when we refused, there were mock shootings. they pretended to shoot gazi several times. when you were blindfolded. and then they fired the gun in the air. it can be a very traumatic experience. >> richard says he believes his captors were members of a militia loyal to syrian president assad. he and his colleagues were freed

after another firefight last night while they were being transported and came upon an unexpected rebel check point. john boehner and president obama have moved a step closer to a fiscal cliff agreement. the president is now offering to hike taxes on incomes above $400,000 instead of $250,000. boehner has proposed a $1 million fresh hold. president obama has also dropped his demand for permanent borrowing authority, asking for a two-year limit instead. a federal judge has refused to ban u.s. sales of three samsung smart phones, even though a jury decided in august that the models made illegal use of apple technology. that jury also ordered samsung to pay apple more than $1 billion. the judge said monday that apple's demands to ban the phones was too broad of a punishment and that doing so would harm the public. now for a look at what's happening on wall street today, let's go to the new york stock exchange. good morning, kayla. >> good morning, tamron. the economic calendar is slowing, the focus has sharpened

on washington. the markets cheeringhat appears to be a deal coming closer, even though economists say that growth still will be sluggish in the u.s. at the beginning of next year. meantime, corporate america shelling out cash in preparation of big tax hikes. some $35 billion already paid out in dividends straight to investors. tamron, back to you. a computer hacker who broke into online accounts of christina aguilera, scarlett johansson, and dozens of other women was sentenced monday to ten years in prison. the judge in los angeles listened to a tearful videotaped statement from johansson before sentencing the 35-year-old man. he illegally obtained intimate photos of the actress and posted them online. it is now 8:06. back to al with a check of the weather. "today's" weather is brought to you by jared, the galeria of jewelry. a truly unique selection to help you find the perfect ring. that's why he went to jared.

>> it is one of best signs i've seen in a long time. willie geist used to babysit you? >> he did. richwood, new jersey. >> really? what was he like as a babysitter? >> um, pretty unattentive. >> unattentive! let you run around with scissors? >> i believe so. >> very nice. wow. okay. turned out all right in spite of willie. let's check things out. i think. our pick city today, san antonio. sunny, warm, 80 degrees. don't know if it's true or not, but i like the sign. you can see we've got a lot of wet weather making its way into new england, and snow in some of the upper reaches of maine. we've also got another big system out west, where it's going to be dumping a ton of snow. we're talking about the rockies, looking at central rockies, rain through the southwest, pacific northwest as well. snow showers around the western

plains. and look for plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast. some more visitors here. what's your names? >> carmen. >> and? >> hadley. >> today is your birthday? >> yes. >> how old? >> 9. >> do you say everything together all the time? >> good morning. we are watching a front that will produce a sprinkle or a rain shower in spots. otherwise, a mixture of sun and clouds. and that's your latest weather. mr. gregory? >> mr. roker, thank you very

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back now at 8:12 with a question a lot of people are facing in the wake of the tragedy in connecticut. how do we cope with such tremendous loss and grief? our friend maria shriver is the best selling author of the children's book "what's heaven" and she joins us to talk about some of these issues. good morning, it's good to see you. >> nice to see you, thank you for having me. >> unfortunately, you and your family know all too much about this subject of loss and grieving. i just wonder what your thoughts are, certainly for the families and those most directly dealing with this but also the larger community that really feels this and is really hurting right now. >> well, i think we're hurting as a nation. i think we are a grief illiterate nation. one of the reasons i wrote "what's heaven" is because i grew up and people didn't talk about death. they didn't talk about these

kinds of things. and i think what children need and what adults need and what we all need is a safe place to begin this conversation and have it over and over again. we don't really have a culture in how to talk about grief and we don't understand what are the appropriate questions to ask, what are the appropriate questions not to ask, how long does the process take, and i think the more we talk about it, the easier it is for people to begin that kind of conversation and to know that there is no set time to get over something like this, and that we should know as a nation that this will not "go back to normal." we're now dealing with a new normal for all of these families and for this community. >> you talk about how hard it is for so many people to talk about grief and their feelings of loss, and that a conversation needs to be started. what does that conversation entail? >> well, i think it's different for everybody. the book i wrote, many people came back to me and said i never got past the first page because my child just started talking

and talking and talking. and i think what everybody has told me and what i've learned over the years is that we need to provide a safe place for people to really talk. they need time and they need to process it in their own way. people have all different schedules for this. adults talk about it differently than kids. but i think the most important thing for children to understand is that their parents or their care giver or someone in their family will listen to them. and will be there for them. and will provide a safe place for them to have this conversation. >> there's an aspect to this that you are, unfortunately, so familiar with, and that is grieving in the public eye. for the people in newtown, for the families directly affected, does that make this impossibly sad situation even harder? >> well, i think in some ways it makes it harder because you have the media there asking you questions and it's a very private situation. in other ways, it makes it

actually better because someone is being kind to you, someone is being empathetic with you. someone is being compassionate. there are millions of people who go through this grief process alone and nobody is kind to them. i think what's important to know is that the entire nation, every single day people wake up and are suffering loss and dealing with loss, and nobody reaches out to them and asks them how they're really actually feeling. i think one thing for the media is that we so often pay attention to these stories and then we leave these families and we never check back in with them again. and i think it would be really important for us to stay on the stories, stay with these families, check in again with them in six months, find out how they're doing, because when they go back the school in january, they won't be okay. in may, they won't be okay. and they need to know that that's okay. that this process will take years and however they go through it is the right way for them to go through it. >> i think that's one part of

this, that people might find surprising, that often when you are out there and you are meeting some of these people who are in the worst possible times of their lives, sometimes they do, in fact, want to talk about it. they want to tell the world because they want the world to know the magnitude of the loss that they feel. >> i've been so impressed and so humbled by so many of the families that have spoken out, particularly mr. parker, when he reached out to the suspect's family and mentioned in his comments about his own daughter that his heart and his thoughts were with their family as well. i think that that to me was so inspiring. and i think the tone of this. people like him can set a tone for how we should all talk to one other, how we can talk to our own families, how we can talk to our own children. this is a conversation that's not just happening in that community, that should be happening at kitchen tables all across this nation. i thought the president did a great job of saying that we can't accept this as routine. that there's something that each and every one of us can do right

now in our own homes, talking to our adult children, talking to our brothers and sisters, our own parents. and our own children about how to handle this and whether they're grieving about something that we may not know about. >> maria shriver, it's always good to talk to you and to see you. thank you so much for being with us. >> thank you. and coming up next, the sandy hook elementary neighbor who took six young and scared survivors into his home in the middle of the chaos. we'll have his story right after this. ♪

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days after the tragedy in connecticut, we're still learning new stories of hope and survival. gene rosen lives across the street from sandy hook elementary. he was finishing his morning routine on friday when he noticed a group of children sitting at the end of his driveway. they ended up being the survivors of vicky soto's first grade class. mr. rosen is with us now. good to see you. thanks for being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> tell me a about -- i just mentioned who the children were, as you came upon them. tell me what happened. you talked to them. they obviously had just come -- had survived the gunfire in the classroom. tell me about your initial contact with them. >> i had no idea why these children were there. i looked down and i saw these six kids and they seemed fine. and then i see a man talking to them in a loud voice saying it's going to be all right, it's going to be all right.

i had no idea. i went down and they were mortified. they were crying. they were upset and there was a school bus driver with them. so i took them into my house and they came into my house and there were two boys and i think four girls. they were very upset. the two boys just start talking -- i had no idea what happened. and they said we can't go back to the school. we can't go back to the school because our teacher is gone. and i could not believe that. i could not take that in. they kept saying that. and one of the boys said he had a big gun and a little gun. i could not fathom what they were talking about.

and then they talked about mrs. soto. >> right. >> our teacher. she's gone. >> gene, i know you're a psychologist. and it's so obvious that this is so raw for you still and so difficult to talk about, which we can all understand. but as a psychologist, how were you able to comfort them in those initial moments of so much grief? >> i comforted them because i'm a grandfather. and my grandson and my granddaughter have taught me how to be with children. and i was so happy that i went upstairs to my grandson's toy box and i brought down all these stuffed animals and i gave one to each of the children and i asked them if they wanted some juice. i wanted to read to them, but they were too upset. but they started calming down. it was my grandchildren who taught me how to be with these

children. and i am so thankful for that. >> well, i know everybody in the community is thankful that a voice as gentle as yours and a person as kind as you are was there to help comfort them in such a difficult time. gene rosen, thank you very much. >> can i just thank the people of sandy hook and the sandy hook volunteer fire department and our first selectmen who puts us to bed and says good night. i want to thank the president who came here as a parent. and all the children here and all the parents and the kids of the helen plain elementary school and their teachers and their parents. i want to thank everybody. >> all right, gene. well said. thank you very much this morning. >> thank you. >> all kinds of support pouring in from around the world for people of newtown. natalie has more on that. natalie? >> reporter: well, david, in the

midst of this unspeakable tragedy here in newtown, all kinds of offers to help have been pouring in from all over the world. and today's animal advocate jill rappaport is here with an incredible story of some helpers who come from all over to be here of the four-legged kind. jill? >> we know that animals give us unconditional love. but they also can provide incredible comfort and support when we really need it most. as we saw here firsthand from a very special group of golden retrievers. >> they help me get over how sad it is. >> reporter: these dogs are on a mission. >> thank you for coming. they are just so precious and so loving unconditionally. >> reporter: and their work goes on around the clock. well into the night. these special pooches are part of the k-9 comfort dog ministry. and they have traveled hundreds of miles in hopes of shining a bright light on those who need it most. >> they're like furry

counselors. you know, they help people to relax. they help people to be joyful. >> reporter: these comfort therapy dogs are specially trained to respond to crisis situations. >> they're furry angels from joplin, missouri, to the tristate with superstorm sandy. oh, yes. they really go wherever there is a need. >> wherever there is a need. >> reporter: their golden disposition matches their breed, and their presence was a gift to many. >> i wish i had a dog like this. >> reporter: children that have come up to the dogs that look sad and they start petting the dogs and the smile starts coming on their face. and then the parents start smiling. >> hi, luther. >> hi, luther. >> reporter: i think that it does connect the children to the innocence that has been shattered right now in the town.

>> reporter: and these dogs definitely live to love. >> i can tell you, they gave me a big hug here this morning. we're going to meet more of these dogs, but first, your local news. >> this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, is 8:26. let's get a final check on that morning commute. >> there is a lot of stuff going on out there. northbound to 95 has a report of a crash right at the beltway. in towson, crestwick at providence. anne arundel county has won an eastbound on 100 at ritchie highway. in howard county, waterloo at

washington boulevard. we are seeing normal delays developed around area as well as an accident on 95 north of o'donnell street. be aware of that and that will cause a delay through the morning commute. westbound on the beltway is still pretty jammed up. this is our camera north of the security boulevard. there is a lot of traffic out there. >> good morning, everyone. it is a little better than yesterday as far as visibility. temperatures are in the low 50's and it will be a mild day. we are watching a little disturbance coming out of the mountains that could hold together and get as a passing sprinkle today but it is only 20% chance. a mixture of clouds and sunshine and breezy and mild with a high near 56. nice day tomorrow, sunshine,

52, clouds on thursday, with a chance of rain, and it gets cold over the weekend. >> thank you for joining us. we're back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on this tuesday morning, the 18th of december, 2012. christmas one week away. our toy drive going strong. even stronger. because yes, that is -- hark -- seth rogen. >> did you just say hark? >> if you're ever going to say hark, isn't this the time of year? >> one of the greatest laughs of all time, seth rogen.

>> we'll talk with him in a few minutes. >> we can all use a laugh this morning. the great billy crystal is here. he's got his new movie coming out. i'm so excited because i spent my adolescence imitating billy crystal doing all of his routines. >> oh, he's mad. >> was that a cue for us to ask you to do it? >> please do your impersonation of billy crystal. >> come on, come on. >> the jewish relatives. what? what am i gonna do? that kind of thing. >> thumbs up? thumbs down? no. >> he does a great imitation of you doing "meet the press." fantastic. >> he's a mime now. someone's life is going to change in a big way tonight. the winner of "the voice" will be crowned in a live finale. we're going to get a preview and hear from the coaches about changes coming to the show next

season. >> yeah, that finale -- before the finale. it was quite good last night. >> you stayed up late. you're such a rager. until 9:00 p.m. >> now i feel really uncomfortable. >> actually, we have someone to say hello to. seth rogen is here. >> hello. good to see you. >> your new movie "the guilt trip" opens tomorrow. you co-star with barbra streisand. i hope this doesn't sound weird, but the two of you have great chemistry. >> thank you very much. >> mother-son chemistry. >> yes. it's not a romantic film. that would get weird. i'm used to chemistry meaning something different. but yeah, we got along very well. >> this is not a typical seth rogen comedy. >> no, i don't play a stoned moron in this. time to branch out. microscopicly. dan fogelman wrote it.

he went on a road trip with his mother and wrote a movie about. i it's a very nice movie. take your mothers. you don't have to talk to them. >> you're filming this and you're sitting next to barbra streisand. >> i am. >> was it kind of a zen moment? like what's going on? >> to me, she's just like an old jewish lady, honestly. >> wow! so many nice things in that sentence. >> would you like to impersonate barbra streisand? >> i don't have a good impression. i wasn't like that. i respect her, but i'm also like the biggest barbra streisand fan on earth. >> you didn't bring albums for her to sign? >> exactly. i watched half of "funny girl." >> she says she brought you socks. >> she bought me socks and underwear from the gap as a gift. just like a real mother. >> was there direction from her? >> no more pressure than any other jewish lady.

>> do you feel a lot of pressure around jewish ladies? >> i do feel quite a bit of pressure. there's a sense of disappointing them in some capacity. that you're eating too much or too little. >> and barbra streisand is so famous, would you take a road trip with her? >> sure, why not? she probably has a really fancy expensive car. >> she actually likes drooik driving around a pickup truck with her husband. >> her husband is actually very sexy and rugged. >> do you feel pressure being around james brolin? >> yeah, a bit. he's the most masculine guy i've been around my whole life. again, a jewish guy, you're not around a lot of masculinity. >> except around david gregory. >> seth rogen, the movie is called "the guilt trip" and it opens tomorrow. >> yes, it does. >> don't stop now. >> have you seen his billy crystal?

it's spectacular. >> i can't help but do a billy crystal impression. >> we'll see you soon. mr. roker, a check of the weather? >> let's see what we've got as far as today. look for snow through the rockies. wet weather through the southwest, rain in the northeast with heavy snow up in northern new england. for tomorrow, we expect to see this system making its way to the east. a risk of strong storms in the lower mississippi river valley. it continues to snow in northern new england. sunny and mild from the mid-atlantic states northwest down into -- there is a cute baby back there just having a great time on top of mom. what's his name? toby. all right. wh >> good morning. it will be a mild day today. a mixture of sun and clouds. a slight chance for a rain shower.

that's your latest weather. how would fernando introduce willie? >> you look marvelous. you do. you do. >> willard, to you. >> some candles on the cake. a little ice cream. who could ask for more? marie is 100 years old, from the great state of new jersey. she makes the world's best risotto. i love that. love it. bud and helen hare, 75 years they've been married. they stay connected and they enjoy each other, communicate. get your computer out and say

hello. and we have florence manning of long meadow, massachusetts, 100 years old. 24 years cancer survivor. is that beautiful? hello! that is the best. i love you. an inspiration to everyone. oscar dystel, new york, new york. 100 years old today. longevity secret, he says, inspiring other people. that's it. be a role model and enjoy. luberta foreman of scotland neck, in the great state of north carolina, 100 years old today. loves to garden and loves to sew. how sweet it is. and if you will take a look, please, at margaret kender, 104. her secret to longevity is eat chocolate, sweets, anything that's got sugar in it. my kind of woman. that's it. i love sweets. back to new york. willard, thank you very much. coming up here, the great billy

crystal. if you look, he's live in the studio. mr. crystal. this will be fantastic. he's got a new movie out. and you'll hear about it first. this is today on nbc.

back at 8:40. billy crystal is out with a new movie this holiday season, co-starring with bette midler in "parental guidance." they babysit their grandkids while trying to adopt their daughter's new school ways. >> what's going on? we're going to be late? it's "project runway." >> i tried handling it like alice said but it's not working. >> get the other two in the car and i'll handle this. take off those shoes and i'll give you a dollar. >> 5. >> 2.50. >> deal. >> that's the way it really works. >> negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. how are you?

>> this is a really fun movie. as i understand, it kind of came out of your real life. >> i'm a grandfather of three and 2/3. another one is due in march. we had the girls, who were the older ones, for six days alone. on the seventh day, i rested. and came into the office and said all right, listen, i have an idea for a movie. old school grandparents trying to babysit for their kids while their daughter goes away, who is marisa tomei, who is fantastic in the movie, too. >> did i hear correctly that you said it will be a horror story? >> no, bette said that. it's a really fun movie that everyone can go to and feel good about. >> you mentioned bette midler. she's your co-star. you guys have been friends for years. what took you so long to work together? >> well, you know, she turned down "analyze this." she didn't want to play a gangster. this just felt like the right thing. i guess we just -- we sound alike. i don't know what it is. that people assume that we did stuff together. but we haven't. and she's a joy to work with.

she's been a phenomenal talent for so long. and i was just thrilled to work with her. >> i've seen you off camera together and i've seen you on camera together. you have this great chemistry. you guys were singing. i think she said we're the same person. >> yeah. but i can't wear her shoes. we had dinner together when we said would you like to do this movie, and we spent some time together, not a lot. when she sat down to dinner, i knew that we were married and she ate off my plate, she fished my sentences. she insisted on driving. >> did she yell at you? >> yeah. did you really want to eat that? but we just had a great time together. >> one of the things that's fun about this movie is it is all about the new way of parenting versus the more traditional ways. do you get a kick out of that? >> well, i deal with it all the time with my grandkids. trying to do everything that they want us to do. don't say don't. never say not. but i think ultimately, we raise

two great girls because we used common sense. >> there's a great scene where you go to the baseball game and you're mortified. >> yeah, everybody -- they hit until they get on base and they don't keep score. and my guy can't -- i'm a baseball announcer in the movie and i can't stand this -- you can't ruin baseball. >> it should be sacrosanct. if you look at your movie career, they represent different eras in your life. so "when harry met sally" had to do with romantic. >> falling in love, yeah. >> and you had "city slickers." >> about 40, midlife crisis. this is the grandparent movie. i shudder to think what the next one will be. >> do you like being a grandfather? >> i love it. i love being called grandpa. i've earned that. it's a great -- grandparenting is a second chance to screw somebody up.

>> you're availing yourself of that? >> i have to tell you a story, though. when we met at the lighting of the tree -- >> you and i and bette midler, too. >> it was a long day for me. i started 7:00 that morning and this was around 8:00 something at night. and we were freezing. we were right up over here. and you asked bette, what do you do for christmas? do you buy presents? she said no, i make them. i make all these crafts. i could barely hear anything. and i'm so jet lagged. and you said billy, do you? and i lied. i said yes, i make unusual robots. i don't know why i said that. >> why did i believe you? >> and you went oh good. i've never made a robot. i've never seen a robot. so everyone who's writing me for the ske mat ichematics -- i don. i don't have any robots. it was one of those -- yes, i just had to finish a sentence. >> i'm glad we cleared up this. wait a minute, how do i know -- are you lying now about the

rob robots? or are you lying then? >> i'll have to come back. >> i'm glad we had this chat. "parental guidance" opens christmas day. coming up next, will it be cassidy, terry or nicolas? we'll preview tonight's live finale of "the voice." but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ you don't really care for music do you ♪ back now with a touching tribute on "the voice" last night to the victims of the connecticut shooting. the coaches and kos tcontestant singing "hallelujah." here's jason kennedy. >> reporter: on monday night, the three finalists put it all on the line. pop singer cassidy pope took on scottish rocker terry mcdermott and the soulful nicolas david, all hoping to be crowned season

three winner of "the voice." >> at this point in the competition, does it really matter if you win the show? >> winning the show would be amazing and it would be such a gratifying moment at the time, but it doesn't matter years down the line if you haven't gone anywhere with your career. so all of us are focused already on the next step after the show. >> reporter: and it's not just the contestants looking forward to life after "the voice." when the chairs spin around next season, two new coaches will join the panel, r&b star usher and shakira will replace cee lo green and christina aguilera. have any of you talked with them? >> adam and i have talked to each of them individually a lot about it. and they're genuinely interested and concerned about how do we just jump right in there with two guys who have been doing this for three seasons already. i mean, how do you do that? and my answer to them is you can't.

you're screwed. >> poor shakira. >> reporter: what is shakira getting herself into? >> she's getting into a whole lot. at a certain point the guys all come together, their locker room talk was a little much. which i hear you've toned down around shakira. but i think i had to learn to be one of the guys a little bit. >> i learned new words from you, actually. >> you did. >> reporter: cee lo, why was it the right timing for you to leave the show? >> because i really wanted to be able to give some undivided attention to some other things that we have pending. i'm doing a las vegas residency in planet hollywood. shameless plug. >> reporter: during her break from "the voice", aguilera plans to go on tour and spend more time with her young son max. >> it's not going to be the same. it already isn't the same. we already shot some stuff. it's different, it takes time. but we've got to kind of embrace the newness of it with open arms. >> everybody remains optimistic about what the future of the

show will be because there's still the possibility of everybody coming back, the original four. >> i do love these guys. i know, brothers, but it's true. i really enjoy them. >> reporter: you guys have really been a part of history. this may be the last time we see all four of those judges together. >> this season, we've managed to capture an interesting tv that is "the voice." >> reporter: and after tonight's finale, one voice will reign supreme. >> you can see the new "voice" champion, live finale at 8:00/7:00 central. >> a little tom brokaw there. >> david is a little distracted because his friend billy crystal is here. >> if you're going to cough, you really have to -- no. break something up. bring 10,000 years of oppression, bring -- like that.

make an effort. >> what are the kids doing? >> ugh. >> no. no. >> you can do this. >> but i do have -- all my cousins in the bronx, you say how you doing? ugh. >> but you do do a good tom brokaw. do tom breaokaw coughing. >> thank you, again. >> busted! >> first, this is "today" on nbc.

all of us have been moved by the tragedy at sandy hook elementary. some people are showing their support with simple and touching acts of kindness. nbc's andrea canning has that part of the story. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. there are so many questions about friday's shooting. but one that just about everyone is asking, how do we best honor the victims? it's a question being answered in small ways in newtown, connecticut, and around the world. 6-year-old emilie parker's tiny heart was full of love and kindness. her father robert made an emotional plea for that spirit to be the legacy of this tragedy. >> let it not turn into something that defines us. something that inspires us to be

better, to be more compassionate, and more humble people. >> reporter: pouring into newtown are acts of kindness. anonymous deliveries of christmas trees from north carolina, and a day of free coffee at the town's general store from california. >> it's really nice to see. it's a small gesture, but it's huge in its impact. >> reporter: family members who could not attend monday's funeral of noah pozner wrote letters to be buried with him, to make sure they arrived in time, his aunt reached out for help. jetblue flew the letters in, tweeting we're honored to have been able to help the loving family of little noah. >> it warmed my heart so much that i'm on a quest now to pay it forward. >> reporter: and generosity is spreading beyond newtown. a pennsylvania woman found a card with money on her windshield with a message from the anonymous giver. >> how do you fight evil in this world? you fight it with good. this act of kindness is the memory of a child who lost his or her life. >> reporter: the pay it forward spirit is spreading on social

media. after nbc's ann curry issued an online call for acts of kindness inspired by the sandy hook school victims. >> imagine if everyone could commit to doing one act of kindness for every one of those children. >> reporter: using the #20acts, one woman said paid off woman's layawaybill. even from across the world, bought a helmet for a teen in indonesia driving without one. #20acts. join us in remembering the kids in connecticut. a tragedy that ended 26 lives at one school now touching so many. we heard robert parker, the father of one young victim emilie, speak to emotionally over the weekend. he released an additional statement last night, calling on everyone to use the memories of the victims to inspire us to do good and work toward bettering our communities.

savannah? >> all right, andrea canning, thank you. out of such sadness, such a great idea to do something kind for somebody else. >> pay it forward. we talk about this all the time. it's sad that tragedy reminds us. >> but that this can live on and honor their memories. >> and you do have an opportunity to elevate this kind of loss. and people i think are trying to do that. that's the best thing to try to do right now. >> best way to remember those that were lost. we are back with much more today on a tuesday morning after a check of your local news and weather. >> good morning at 8:56. an mta roadside assistance technician is recovering in hospital after a harford county accident killed a good samaritan. he was on the shoulder of route

150 to helping a driver changes tire and investigators say another driver coming off the ramp from 95 celt lost control and hit him who died>> it is gor

mild day to day with temperatures in the mid-50's this afternoon with a mixture of clouds and sunshine and a slight chance for a rain shower. >>